Overview
- Observers reported the peak overnight Nov. 16–17, with another good viewing window before sunrise on Nov. 18 where skies are clear.
- Under dark conditions, experts forecast roughly 10–15 meteors per hour this year, indicating a typical shower rather than a meteor storm.
- The meteors are fast fragments from comet 55P/Tempel‑Tuttle, striking the atmosphere at about 44 miles per second and occasionally producing bright fireballs and Earth‑grazers.
- Best results come after midnight toward the pre‑dawn hours when Leo rises; no equipment is needed, and allowing 20–30 minutes for dark adaptation helps.
- A thin waning crescent moon minimizes glare, though clouds and light pollution will limit sightings, and the American Meteor Society does not expect storm‑level activity until far in the future, around 2099.